


Ironstrange Valentine's Week, Day 7: Valentine

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Ironstrange Valentine's Week [7]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Banter, Domestic Bliss, Established Relationship, Fade to Black, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Nipple Piercings, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:55:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29443686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: "Marry me."
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Ironstrange Valentine's Week [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151381
Comments: 20
Kudos: 70





	Ironstrange Valentine's Week, Day 7: Valentine

**Author's Note:**

> A little bit of slightly spicy fluff with an elegant fade to black concludes my Ironstrange Valentine's Week. This particular Tony and Stephen have arrived at - and are now living - in their well-deserved happily ever after with Cloak and BB-8 and friends.

Stephen liked being held, Tony had discovered to his great pleasure. Folded up in ways that looked kind of uncomfortable he could spend hours in Tony's arms. Sometimes awake, sometimes dozing, watching a movie or listening to Tony's rants about everything and everyone.

It was... nice. More than nice, actually. To get an always busy and driven guy like Stephen to slow down and _relax_ was one of the most important accomplishments in a life full of those.

"You really like this," Stephen said into the silence. The movie had ended a couple of minutes ago, but neither of them had wanted to disturb the mood by asking FRIDAY to put something else on. "Holding me," he added after Tony's inquisitive sound.

Tony didn't really know what to make of that. Of course he did. He liked having Stephen where he was protected and content. This, here, today, just the two of them with nothing on the horizon for the next few days was the perfect Valentine's day. He hesitated for a moment but then decided that the truth would have to do. "I like having you like this," he said after a moment.

"Full of good food and too lazy to move? You just want me to stay put." Tony could hear the smile in Stephen's voice, telling him that the words weren't meant like they sounded on the surface. He'd gotten rather good at hearing the actual truth behind Stephen's often caustic remarks.

The memory of Stephen allowing him to fed him bite sized food was one he would treasure for a long time if not forever, he knew. The only seemingly casual display of trust when Stephen had leaned forwards with a light blush had taken Tony's breath away.

"Yeah," he agreed softly. "Guilty as charged." To illustrate the point his moved his right hand, low on Stephen's stomach so far, upward until his fingertips brushed over metall. Stephen shivered at the light touch, still so very sensitive; even now, months after the piercing through his right nipple had fully healed.

He gently tugged at the piercing until he had Stephen moaning, eyes closed in pleasure.

"You're so easy," Tony laughed while tracing a circle around the pierced nipple. 

"Nobody has ever accused me of that before." Stephen blinked up a him. "Are you sure you're not confusing me with someone else here?"

Tony leaned down to kiss the stupid words away. "No, no confusion. You're a pretty memorable guy, Dr. Strange, and I can assure you that you're the most high-maintenance easy guy or lady I've ever had in my life." He leaned in for another kiss.

"Hmm." He could feel the sound more than hear it; a deep rumble that woke a so-far neglected part of Tony's body up. "Not feeling very high-maintenance now," Stephen murmured, deep voice even deeper than usual and sending a pleasant shiver through Tony's whole body.

Tony laughed and pinched the pierced nipple lightly. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."

"Although I have to admit that I like the idea of being unique." The words were light but Tony knew what Stephen truly meant.

"Don't believe the trash press," he said softly. "I haven't been nearly with as many people as they claim." Then there had been Pepper, and only Pepper, for so long and now there was Stephen. Tony had a feeling, and all the hope, that there wouldn't be anyone else ever again now. He kissed Stephen again. "Don't feel bad, baby" he added with as much fake-sincerity as he could muster. Which was a _lot_. "You're still very special to me, even without comparing you to the hundreds of my other, alleged, lovers."

Stephen outright choked on pure air before laughing out loud, waking up BB-8 from its standby mode. The annoyed beep of sadness had them both laughing like they'd finally snapped for good.

_It's time._

The thought, only vaguely contemplated before, suddenly took over all of Tony's rather impressive brain capacity and he blurted the next words out without thinking: "Marry me."

That stopped Stephen's laugh from one second to the next. "Tony?" he asked, sounding insecure and moving out from Tony's arm to kneel next to him on the bed. "What…?"

_Fuck, fuck, **fuck**!_

At least Stephen wasn't running. Or even moving. He just stared at Tony with the same kind of wide-eyed wonder he'd greeted BB-8 and pretty much every one of the gifts Tony had made him. As if he couldn't believe…

_Oh._

He was an idiot. Also not a new realization but whatever.

"Marry me," Tony repeated and reached out to take Stephen's hands. Shaking and a little bit too cool, like always, but they fit into his hold like they were made for it. He had a thousand reasons for his proposal - he loved Stephen and wanted to show the whole wide world how much, he wanted to show _Stephen_ how much he was loved and adored, he wanted the legal security of marriage, he wanted the idea of a fairy tale wedding and a private little affair with only their closest friends at the same time, and most of all be wanted to _belong_ to Stephen in every way possible. "Let me be yours," he added in desperation. "Please."

"Tony." The wonder was still there but now, instead of helpless surprise, there was so much _love_ in Stephen's eyes. "Deep breaths. Don't stroke out on me. You still need to actually marry me and you need to be alive for that." He freed his right hand from Tony's loose hold and cupped his cheek.

"Yes," he said after taking a deep breath, voice steady and sounding so absolutely sure that it helped calm Tony down from his near-panic attack. "Yes," he repeated, even more firmly. "I mean, you already are mine and I'm yours but yes." He was smiling, beautiful eyes a little bit glassy with tears of happiness.

Tony _knew_ that, damnit, words and deeds over the last year and a half had shown him over and over again that Stephen loved - and _got_ \- him on a level nobody else had ever before.

He concentrated on the feel of Stephen's hand on his face. The slight coolness, the shaking, not even stilled by touch, the strength behind it.

Stephen's eyes were enormous, as if he couldn't believe what was going on, but here he was, ready and willing to be Tony's safe harbor, the one who calmed and steadied him.

"I love you," Tony whispered, full of awe.

Stephen smiled. "That's very good, considering you just proposed to me. I would hate to think that it's just some kind of Valentine's Day ritual you do with all of your alleged lovers."

Oh, the fucking _bastard_! The laugh that bubbled up at that wasn't nearly as hysterical as it would have been even a minute or so ago. Yeah, Stephen _got_ him.

"I only have rituals for you," he confessed, coming down from his hysteria, and trying to get back to the soothing atmosphere of a few moments ago. "Or rather: _With_ you." He reached up with his empty hand to once more brush over Stephen's pierced nipple, hidden behind his loose shirt. "I've never had anything like this before. Like you." This. Them. Their relationship. The love, the unconditional trust, the devotion and the sheer _fun_. He had never laughed so much as since the moment he'd gotten together with Stephen. He'd also never experienced so much sheer rage and frustration and fear at and for another human being but that was part of the deal.

Stephen shut him up with a kiss; something that was usual Tony's tactic. "I love you. You make my heart glad," he whispered. The phrasing sounded kind of odd but it made some almost unnoticed tension in Tony melt away for good. "And now," Stephen continued, dropping his voice, "can you _please_ continue were you left off before your proposal?"

It only took Tony a second to switch gears. "I thought you're too full and lazy," he said, brushing and lightly tugging at the piercing through the shirt.

Stephen grinned at him, happy and looking years younger and way more innocent than he actually was. "I think I've recovered. A proposal from the love of your life will do that."

Tony swallowed at that. Thinking something himself was one thing but hearing it out loud from his… _fiancé_ , he guessed, was something else entirely. "What do you want, Stephen?"

"Since you're the one who proposed this will be your night," Stephen allowed graciously. "So: How do you want me?"

Oh, so many possibilities. Tony's mouth went dry at the countless ideas and images assaulting his mind as another part of him stood to almost painful attention. "Let's start," he said, carefully testing the waters, "by getting you out of your clothes. I want to see you in your full glory, baby."

"Okay." Stephen's clothes disappeared immediately, and so did Tony's. One of many perks of magic in the bedroom. Tony's hand suddenly was covering half of Stephen's naked chest. "And now?"

Tony could almost hear Stephen's thoughts and the various scenarios his over-active mind was flipping through at warp-speed, one more exotic than the other.

_No. Not today_ , he decided.

"Now," Tony purred, "I want you to lean back and relax. We're going old-school for tonight. Just us with you on your back while I make love to you. I want to see your reaction to every touch and every move."

Stephen was already leaning back and more or less melting into the pillows and the mattress before Tony had stopped speaking. His answering smile was soft and full of love. "Back to the basics. I like it. Remind me to return the favor as soon as we can move again."

He was still holding on to Stephen's left hand, he realized. He could already visualize how breathtaking Stephen would look with an engagement-bracelet and later a wedding-bracelet around his elegant wrists.

_Later._ The new jewelry would come tomorrow. For tonight he had a relaxed and willing Stephen to play with.

"Mine," he whispered as he moved to get down on Stephen.

Shaking hands landed on his shoulders, guiding him where he belonged.

Stephen's answering "yours" melted away into a long, drawn-out moan, ending every coherent word and thought for the time being.

**Author's Note:**

> "I love you. You make my heart glad."
> 
> That's the slightly shortened version of Duncan MacLeod's heartfelt confession to Amanda Darieux near the end of _Not To Be_ the final (and wonderful) episode of Highlander: The Series. It's a line that has stayed with me since I first heard it and this was finally the time to use it. I think it fits Stephen and his sometimes slightly archaic, formal way of speaking.
> 
> All my thanks goes to Desca ([@descaladumidera](https://descaladumidera.tumblr.com)) who had the wonderful idea for this event. Thank you for bringing me out of a semi-hiatus that had threatened to be become permanent. This week reminded me how much I still love Tony and Stephen and that I'm far from finished thinking and writing about them. I might have slowed down considerably but I'm still here. 🤍


End file.
